On the afternoon of January 16, 2018, the agreement on the recognition of the certificate of the competency for Chinese seafarers between the competent authority of the People’s Republic of China and Luxembourg competent authority was signed in Beijing. Director-General of China Maritime Safety Administration, Xu Ruqing and marine affairs commissioner of Luxembourg Ministry of Commerce, Robert Biwer signed the agreement on behalf of China and Luxembourg respectively. Minister Li Xiaopeng of the Ministry of Transport and Luxembourg&＃39;s vice chairman and economy minister, Etienne Schneider attended the signing ceremony and witnessed the signing. After the signing of the agreement between the two countries, Luxembourg will recognize the seafarers’ certificate of competency and training certificate issued by the competent authority of China in the scope of the convention. If a Chinese captain or officer is employed on a ship of Luxemburg, he or she only needs to let Luxembourg maritime authority to sign on the certificate issued by China.
At present, the number of countries and regions which have signed the agreement with China on the unilateral recognition or mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificate of competent has increased to 25.
Both of China and Luxembourg are members of the International Maritime Organization &＃40;IMO&＃41; and they are also contracting states of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers &＃40;STCW&＃41;. There is broad space for the corporation and development in the maritime filed for both sides. Through the signing of this agreement, the procedures for Chinese seafarer export are unimpeded, the employment channels are widened and the pace of Chinese seafarers&＃39; "going out" is accelerated. It also shows that Europe Union and other countries have affirmed China’s seafarers training, certification and the implementation work and it proves again the value of China’s seafarers’ certificate of competency.
The cooperative results between the two countries in seafarers training and certification will promote the cooperation between the two countries in maritime field such as maritime traffic safety, maritime security and the prevention of pollution by ships, which will play an important role in promoting friendly corporation between two countries in international shipping and strengthening economic ties between two countries and will be conducive to the consolidation and development of the relationship between two countries.